After NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal made his his first public appearance as a newly signed Boston Celtic at this past weekend’s UFC Fan Expo Boston 2010 at the Hynes Convention Center in “Shaqachussetts,” could the “Big Shamrock” soon become the “Big Octagon?”

If it’s up to O’Neal, fantasy could become reality.

While O’Neal told ESPN on Saturday that he would like to take a fight against Korean striker and fellow 7-footer Hong Man Choi, the future NBA Hall of Famer told fans at a special Q&A session earlier in the day that not only is he serious about the challenge, but he’d like to turn the opportunity into a television special.

“I would train here for a month,” O’Neal said. “Then I would go to Korea to train for a month, and then we fight. The name of the show would be called ‘Pick on Somebody Your Own Size.’

“Hong Man Choi, I’m coming for you.”

O’Neal long has been a fan of mixed martial arts and frequently is seen cageside for some of the UFC’s biggest matchups. So closely linked is O’Neal with MMA that he was included as an unlockable character in the “UFC Undisputed 2010″ videogame title.

At 38 years old, O’Neal does realize a full career in MMA is a bit much to ask.

“I think some of these guys are the greatest athletes in the world,” O’Neal said. “I’m not really talking about their physical specimen and how they look, but to just be able to go up there and just take a beating, take a lick, hit and wrestle for five minutes is very hard.

“I did some training at the crib and all that, but I wouldn’t want to do it full time. I can – don’t get me wrong – but I wouldn’t want to do it full time.”

But O’Neal insists his challenge to Choi is real, and he wants to get one fight under his belt.

“Oh, yeah,” O’Neal said. “Once.”

Of course, if Choi’s not game, O’Neal could wind up featuring MMA in a future episode of his ABC-broadcast series “Shaq Vs.” Co-hosted by UFC broadcaster Mike Goldberg, the series features O’Neal competing against famous figures in their areas of expertise.

Recent episodes of the show have O’Neal golfing, eating hot dogs, cooking burgers, running track, boxing and trying his hand at magic tricks.

At Saturday’s Q&A session, O’Neal was asked who he’d most like to fight if he were able to ever compete in the UFC, and the 15-time NBA All-Star showed his knowledge of UFC history with his picks.

“It probably wouldn’t be an advantage to me at 38 (years old), but let’s just go back in time,” O’Neal said. “Let’s just say I’m 25. I’d like to fight Tito (Ortiz) first, and then, after I knock Tito out in the first round, I want some of ‘Tank’ Abbott. After beating ‘Tank’ and going three rounds, I want some of ‘Cabbage’ (Correira).”

Ortiz actually stopped by the session several minutes later and said he’s be willing to take the challenge. O’Neal, who had also been joined on stage by his Celtic teammate Glen “Big Baby” Davis, then issued the formal challenge.

“I’ll do it,” O’Neal told Ortiz. “Me against you, and another one of your boys against ‘Big Baby.'”

Ortiz’s track record in reality-show challenges isn’t exactly stellar. “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” was slated to box UFC president Dana White in 2007, but Ortiz backed out of the commitment at the last moment because he wasn’t going to be compensated for the bout, according to White.

And, of course, an injury forced Ortiz to withdraw from a planned UFC fight with nemesis Chuck Liddell at the conclusion of the Spike-TV broadcast “The Ultimate Fighter 11″ series earlier this year.

In further testament to his desire to at least get a taste of the MMA world, O’Neal said he has a backup plan in mind, too.

“Check it out – next year for the last episode of ‘Shaq Vs.,’ I’ll grapple with Joe Rogan first round, Lorenzo (Fertitta) second round and then Dana White in round three – in the cage, in the octagon, in Las Vegas,” O’Neal said.

When White was informed of O’Neal’s intentions following UFC 118, the UFC boss couldn’t help but chuckle.

“The only thing he needs to worry about is beating L.A.” White said with a laugh.

UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey is probably the greatest female fighter on the planet, which is a tremendous feat. So why are we seemingly so obsessed with arguing about whether she could beat up men?